Packaging of flowable products

Abstract

A container for handling bulk flowable products including a housing having opposed first and second end walls and opposed first and second side walls, a partition in the housing dividing it into first and second compartments, an outlet for each compartment respectively adjacent to opposite ends of the housing; and closures for the outlets. The partition is sloped toward each outlet so that when its closure is opened, the product in the corresponding compartment flows through the outlet and is dispensed. In effect, the container is comprised of two, back-to-back, funnel-shaped compartments that are inverted relative to each, with outlets from the compartments adjacent to the respective throats of compartments. A method of using the container is also disclosed and involves storing the same or different products, and if different which may be related but do not have to be, in the two compartments and selectively dispensing the product or products through the outlets without having to pick up the container except to invert it for dispensing product from the other compartment. The container and method are especially suited for containing and dispensing dry bulk rice and beans but are applicable to many other flowable products, both solid and liquid.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A container comprising: a housing having opposed first and second end walls and opposed first and second side walls;   a partition in the housing dividing it into first and second compartments, each compartment being bordered by the partition and respective end and side walls, the partition having opposite first and second ends relatively adjacent to the first and second end walls,   the first side wall providing a first outlet from the first compartment adjacent to the first end of the partition and the second side wall providing a second outlet from the second compartment adjacent to the second end of the partition, the outlets being thereby at opposite ends of the housings the first and second ends of the partition being respectively sloped toward the first and second outlets, the partition constituting means for causing flowable material in the housing to gravitate toward the lower outlet when the housing is oriented with the side walls in upstanding position; and   first and second closures on the first and second outlets.   
     
     
       2. The container of claim 1, wherein the partition is planar and is in a plane that is in angular relation to the planes of the side walls.   
     
     
       3. The container of claim 1, wherein funnels are formed at opposite ends of the partition leading to their respectively adjacent outlets.   
     
     
       4. The container of claim 1, wherein the first and second outlets are respectively located in the first and second side walls.   
     
     
       5. The container of claim 4, wherein the first and second outlets are respectively located in inwardly spaced relation to the first and second end walls.   
     
     
       6. The container of claim 4, wherein the first and second outlets are respectively located immediately adjacent to the first and second end walls.   
     
     
       7. The container of claim 1, wherein the only access to the compartments is through the outlets.   
     
     
       8. The container of claim 1, wherein one of the side walls provides a filler opening for both of the compartments, and   wherein there is a lid on the filler opening.   
     
     
       9. The container of claim 1, wherein one of the walls provides a first filler opening for the first compartment and one of the walls provides a second filler opening for the second compartment; and   lids on the filler openings.   
     
     
       10. The container of claim 9, wherein the first and second filler openings are in the opposite end walls;   and wherein there are lids on each filler opening.   
     
     
       11. The container of claim 1, wherein the walls and the partition are planar;   wherein the plane of the partition intersects the planes of the side and end walls; and   wherein the intersections of the planes of the partition and the end walls are disposed laterally outwardly of the intersections of the planes of the partition and the side walls.   
     
     
       12. The container of claim 1, wherein the walls and the partition are planar;   wherein the plane of the partition intersects the planes of the side and end walls; and   wherein the intersections of the planes of the partition and the end walls are disposed laterally inwardly of the intersections of the planes of the partition and the side walls.   
     
     
       13. The container of claim 1, wherein the walls and partitions are paperboard.   
     
     
       14. The container of claim 1, wherein the walls and partitions are plastic.   
     
     
       15. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is opaque.   
     
     
       16. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is transparent.   
     
     
       17. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is translucent.   
     
     
       18. A container, comprising; a housing providing a pair of back-to-back funnel-shaped compartments that are inverted relative to each other, the compartments having wide ends converging toward narrow discharge ends in which are provided laterally opening outlets, said outlets being thereby at opposite ends of the container; and   closures on the outlets.   
     
     
       19. The container of claim 18, wherein the container is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.   
     
     
       20. The container of claim 18, wherein a partition extends obliquely in the container between opposite ends thereof and separates one compartment from the other.   
     
     
       21. The container of claim 18, wherein the closures are valves.   
     
     
       22. The container of claim 21, wherein each valve is a rotary valve.   
     
     
       23. The container of claim 18, wherein there are alcoves in the container in endwardly adjacent relation to the outlets.   
     
     
       24. The container of claim 18, wherein the outlets are immediately adjacent to the opposite ends of the container.   
     
     
       25. The container of claim 18, wherein the compartments have funnels opening into their adjacent outlets; and   wherein the outlets are symmetrical with their respective funnels.   
     
     
       26. The container of claim 25, wherein there are alcoves in the container in endwardly adjacent relation to the outlets and symmetrical with their respective funnels and outlets.   
     
     
       27. A container for containing and dispensing flowable products, comprising: a housing having opposed first and second end walls and opposed first and second side walls;   a partition in the housing obliquely extending from one side wall to the other side wall, dividing the housing into first and second compartments, and having opposite first and second ends respectively in adjacent spaced relation to the first and second end walls, the first side wall having a first end portion extending from the partition to the first end wall and a second end portion extending from the partition to the second end wall, the second side wall having a first end portion extending from the partition to the first end wall and a second end portion extending from the partition to the second end wall,   the first end portion of the first side wall having an outlet therein directly communicating with the first compartment and the second end portion of the second side wall having an outlet therein directly communicating with the second compartment, the outlets being respectively adjacent to the first and second ends of the partition, the first compartment being defined by the partition, the first end portion of the first side wall, the first end wall, and the first end portion of the second side wall, and the second compartment being defined by the partition, the second end portion of the second side wall, the second end wall, and the second end portion of the first side wall; and   closures on the outlets, the second end of the partition and its adjacent outlet being lower than the first end of the partition in one position of the container such that the partition will cause flowable products in the first compartment will gravitate toward and out of the lower outlet when it is open.   
     
     
       28. The container of claim 27, wherein the walls and the partition are planar; and   wherein the partition and each side wall are in planes that are in acute angular relation to each other.   
     
     
       29. The container of claim 27, wherein the walls and the partition are planar;   wherein the plane of the partition intersects the planes of the side and end walls; and   wherein the intersections of the planes of the partition and the end walls are disposed laterally outwardly of the intersections of the planes of the partition of the side walls.   
     
     
       30. The container of claim 27, wherein the first and second outlets are respectively located in the first and second side walls in inwardly spaced relation to the junctures of the first and second end walls with the first and second side walls; and   wherein each of the first and second side walls provides an alcove that extends radially inwardly of the container in endwardly adjacent relation to the outlets and extends lengthwise of the container to the adjacent end wall.   
     
     
       31. The container of claim 27, wherein one of the side walls is a lid removably attached to the other walls thereby providing a filler opening for the first and second compartments.   
     
     
       32. The container of claim 26, wherein the closures are valves.   
     
     
       33. The container of claim 32, wherein the valves are rotary valves.   
     
     
       34. A package, comprising; a housing providing wall means and partition means dividing the housing into a pair of back-to-back funnel-shaped compartments that are inverted relative to each other and have laterally opening outlets at opposite ends of the container, the housing being movable so that either outlet can be placed above the other outlet;   flowable products in the compartments, the partition means causing product to flow toward the lower outlet from its compartment; and   closures on the outlets.   
     
     
       35. The package of claim 34, wherein the products in the two compartments are different.   
     
     
       36. The package of claim 34, wherein the products are dry, flowable bulk products.   
     
     
       37. A container comprising: a housing adapted to contain a flowable product therein and having multiple compartments and respective outlets from the compartments;   means for maintaining said product in the compartments and for enabling selective orientation of each compartment into a dispensing position wherein the product from that compartment can gravitationally flow through the outlets for that compartment without tilting the container; and   valve means for closing and opening the outlets.   
     
     
       38. A method of dispensing product contained in separate compartments of a container having outlets from the compartments and wherein the product within each compartment is gravitationally urged toward its outlet when such outlet is downwardly disposed, comprising the steps of: supporting the container in a first position wherein the outlet of one compartment is downwardly disposed;   opening the downwardly disposed outlet to allow product to flow from its respective compartment through said downwardly disposed outlet while the container remains in said first position;   closing the downwardly disposed outlet;   re-orienting the container into a second position wherein the outlet of another compartment is now downwardly disposed;   opening the now downwardly disposed outlet to allow product from its compartment to flow therethrough while the container remains in said second position; and   closing the now downwardly disposed outlet.   
     
     
       39. The method of claim 38, wherein the re-orienting step involves inverting the container.   
     
     
       40. The method of claim 38, wherein the product in the two compartments is the same.   
     
     
       41. The method of claim 38, wherein the product in one compartment is different from the product in the other compartment.   
     
     
       42. The method of claim 38, wherein the product is dry and flowable.   
     
     
       43. The method of claim 38, including the further step of: filling the compartments through the ends of the container.   
     
     
       44. The method of claim 38, wherein the compartments are filled through a side of the container.   
     
     
       45. The method of claim 38, including the further steps of: supporting the container on a supporting surface prior to dispensing product from either compartment; and   placing a receptacle on the supporting surface under the outlet from which product is to be dispensed.   
     
     
       46. The ornamental design for a container as shown and described. 
     
     
       47. The ornamental design for a package as shown and described. 
     
     
       48. A container comprising: a housing having opposed first and second end walls and opposed first and second side walls;   a partition in the housing dividing it into first and second compartments, each compartment being bordered by the partition and respective end and side walls, the partition having opposite first and second ends relatively adjacent to the first and second end walls,   the first side wall providing a first outlet from the first compartment adjacent to the first end of the partition and the second side wall providing a second outlet from the second compartment adjacent to the second end of the partition, each compartment and its outlet communicating with each other at the interface between the compartment and the side wall that provides the outlet, the first and second ends of the partition being respectively sloped toward the first and second outlets; and   first and second closures on the first and second outlets.   
     
     
       49. A container for containing and dispensing flowable materials, comprising: a housing having opposed first and second end walls and opposed first and second side walls;   a partition in the housing dividing it into first and second compartments, each compartment being bordered by the partition and respective end and side walls, the partition having opposite first and second ends relatively adjacent to the first and second end walls,   one of the walls providing a first outlet from the first compartment adjacent to the first end of the partition and one of the walls providing a second outlet from the second compartment adjacent to the second end of the partition, the first and second ends of the partition being respectively sloped toward the first and second outlets and being disposed at an angle relative to the end walls such that flowable materials in the container will gravitate toward the lower outlet when the housing is disposed with the side walls in upstanding positions; and   first and second closures on the first and second outlets.   
     
     
       50. A container for holding and dispensing flowable materials having an angle of repose, comprising: a housing having opposed first and second end walls and opposed first and second side walls;   a partition in the housing dividing it into first and second compartments, each compartment being bordered by the partition and respective end and side walls, the partition having opposite first and second ends relatively adjacent to the first and second end walls,   one of the walls providing a first outlet from the first compartment adjacent to the first end of the partition and one of the walls providing a second outlet from the second compartment adjacent to the second end of the partition, the partition being disposed in the housing at angle relative to the end wall that exceeds the angle of repose of the material in the container, the first and second ends of the partition being respectively sloped toward the first and second outlets; and   first and second closures on the first and second outlets.   
     
     
       51. A container for containing and dispensing flowable contents of the container, comprising; a housing providing a pair of back-to-back funnel-shaped compartments that are inverted relative to each other, that have laterally opening outlets at opposite ends of the container, and that are separated by sloped partition means that causes flowable contents in the container to gravitate toward an outlet when the outlet is vertically disposed and at the lower end of the partition means; and   closures on the outlets.